Stand on the bridge at Huangyao Ancient Town as the morning mist lifts off the surrounding karst peaks, and you will understand why this is the image most travellers carry home from Hezhou. The town was founded in 972, and its lanes are dominated by blue bricks, black tiles and painted wooden beams, filled with the smell of cooking and the sound of water.
Hezhou sits in northeastern Guangxi, bordering Hunan to the north and Guangdong to the east. It suits travellers who are already in the region and want a mix of ancient towns, forest parks, caves and Hakka architecture without the crowds of better-known Guangxi destinations. Buses connect most of the main sights from Hezhou Railway Station and the central bus station.
This guide covers the places worth your time in the city and its surrounding counties, with practical notes on how to reach each one and what to combine it with.
Top things to do in Hezhou
1. Huangyao Ancient Town
Founded in 972, Huangyao Ancient Town in Zhaoping County is dominated by blue bricks, black tiles and painted wooden beams. It has a number of temples, pavilions and other historical buildings, and is surrounded by mountains with lots of caves. The wider scenic area is a national 4A level tourist attraction with karst landforms and a natural mountain-and-water setting often described as a "Dream Home".
Buses run to Huangyao from Hezhou Railway Station and Hezhou Central Bus Station, and also from Wuzhou, Yangshuo and Guilin. Entry is ¥100 and the site is open 08:00-17:30. Give it a full day rather than an afternoon.
2. Gupo Mountain National Forest Park
Gupo Mountain National Forest Park in Pinggui District is divided into two main areas: the mapped lower portions, made up of landscaped attractions with smaller waterfalls, and the climb to the actual peak, which is accessible from the last shuttle stop. The climb takes five to seven hours round trip and requires good health; it is advised to be attempted after 11:00. The top is cold and windy.
Catch bus no. 17 from Hezhou Railway Station, or the special express bus that departs four times a day from outside the Guangji Maternity Hospital on Guposhan Avenue; the journey takes about 30 minutes. Summer hours are 08:00-17:30, winter hours 08:00-17:00. Entrance is ¥82 with a sightseeing car at ¥15. Beware of hungry primates at the entrance who often steal food from tourists.
3. Jade Stone Forest
Jade Stone Forest in Huangtian Town, Pinggui District, is a karst landscape a short distance north of the city. It is unique among stone forests in China because of its mineral composition, which mostly consists of a white marble known in Chinese as "Han White Jade", hence the name. It is open 08:00-17:30 and entry is ¥83.
Catch bus no. 4 and get off at the Luhua Village Committee stop; after disembarking, head to the nearby intersection and walk southeast for about 1 km. The same village and town area is also where you will find Shibashui Tourism Park, so the two can be paired.
4. Shibashui Tourism Park
Shibashui Tourism Park in Luhua Village, Huangtian Town, Pinggui District, is a national 4A level tourist attraction known for its "three wonders of water, rocks, and trees". The original ecological scenic area contains ten waterfalls and eighteen water bays, with a group of ten cascaded waterfalls dropping nearly 300 metres. It is open 08:00-18:00 and entry is ¥86.
Catch Tourist Bus 17 from Hezhou Railway Station, get off at the Shibashui Intersection and then walk west for about 1.5 km. Because it sits in the same village as Jade Stone Forest, it is a natural second stop on the same day.
5. Hezhou Hakka Round Houses
In Liantang Town, Babu District, the Hezhou Hakka Round Houses are characteristic weiwu, semi-circular round houses built by the Han Chinese ethnic subgroup known as the Hakka. The site also functions as the Hezhou Hakka Eco Museum. It is open 08:00-17:30 and entry is ¥30.
Take bus no. 25 and get off at Renchong Primary School. If you want to understand the building type in a wider context, the source material points to Fujian Tulou for more on this style of architecture.
6. Ziyun Cave
Ziyun Cave, also known as Purple Cloud Cave, in Limu Village, Etang Town, Pinggui District, is a limestone karst cave that formed during the Jurassic Period. As is common in China, the cave is illuminated with multi-coloured lights. It is open 08:00-17:30 and entry is ¥46.
Your best option is probably to take a taxi. Local buses are available from the road along the south of the attraction, but that gate is usually closed and you must ask the gate guard for a special request to leave that way; walking east to the next major intersection, about 10 minutes, provides a covered area and general store to wait at.
7. Fu Hill Temple
Fu Hill Temple stands in the middle of the He River. Fushan, also known as Yuyin Mountain, is said never to have been submerged no matter how large the mountain flood, and has always floated above the water surface. On the right side of the mountain gate is the Canglang Pavilion, and on the mountaintop is the Chen Wang Temple. From a distance Fushan looks like a huge treasure seal floating on the river, so people also call it "Jade Seal Fushan".
The Fushan Song Festival, also known as the Birthday of Chen Wang Temple, is held on May 19th, when ethnic singers from Hunan, Guangdong and Guangxi gather to perform, worship and pray for good luck. The cliffs around Fushan are extremely dangerous and the trees on the mountain are towering with ancient vines; the Canglang Pavilion by the stone edge of the mountain gate is engraved with the words "Fushan" in Mr. Li Jishen's handwriting and works by calligraphers of all ages.
8. Hezhou Museum
Hezhou Museum on Tiyu Road, Babu District, is the city's main museum, with exhibits on its history and culture. The top level features the more ancient pottery exhibits, an outside courtyard collects stelae, and the internal galleries include miscellaneous modern equipment, a Yuan dynasty anchor excavated from the local river, and some ethnic minority costumes. It is open 10:00-16:00 and closed on Mondays, and entry is free.
Catch bus no. 5, 6, 7 or 9 and get off at the Fuliang Building. The museum is located in a market area with good breakfast options, so arrive early and eat before you go in.
9. Hezhou Ethnological Museum
The Hezhou Ethnological Museum, also known as the Hezhou Ethnic Culture Museum, is on the Hezhou University West Campus at 18 Xihuan Road, Babu District. It is open five days a week and entry is free.
Bus routes 6, 8, 11 and 14 serve the museum. Pair it with the Hezhou Museum if you want to cover the city's collections in one stretch, since both are in Babu District.
10. Dagui Mountain National Forest Park
Dagui Mountain National Forest Park in Babu District is a national 4A level tourist attraction with forests, peaks, misty seas and hanging rocks. Its natural vegetation is subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest under a subtropical monsoon climate. The main attractions include Gaotai Range Rover, Wuma Waterfall, Green Forest Old Land, San Ying Tan Waterfall, Tiesuo Bridge and Ethnic Village.
It is a popular destination, so plan it as a full outing rather than a quick stop. The combination of waterfalls and forest trails makes it a good counterpart to the more developed sites closer to the city.
11. Fuchuan Ming Castle
Fuchuan Ming Castle is in Fuchuan Yao Autonomous County, the autonomous county north of the city. It is one of the historic sites in the county and is worth including if you are heading in that direction.
The county's other named sites are Ruiguang Pagoda, Wind and Rain Bridge and Xiushui Scholar Village, all in the same county, so they can be grouped into a single day out from Hezhou.
12. Ruiguang Pagoda
Ruiguang Pagoda is in Fuchuan Yao Autonomous County. It is one of the county's named historic sites and sits alongside Fuchuan Ming Castle, Wind and Rain Bridge and Xiushui Scholar Village.
Because these four sites share a county, the practical approach is to see them together rather than making separate trips from the city.
13. Wind and Rain Bridge
The Wind and Rain Bridge is in Fuchuan Yao Autonomous County, one of the historic sites listed for the county. It is best visited as part of the same outing as Fuchuan Ming Castle and Ruiguang Pagoda.
Grouping the county's sites keeps travel time down and leaves room for Xiushui Scholar Village on the same day.
14. Xiushui Scholar Village
Xiushui Scholar Village is in Fuchuan Yao Autonomous County. It is the fourth of the county's named sites, along with Fuchuan Ming Castle, Ruiguang Pagoda and Wind and Rain Bridge.
Treat the county as one destination and move between the four sites in a single day rather than returning to Hezhou between each.
15. Linhe Ancient Town
Linhe Ancient Town is one of the historical sites in the Hezhou area. It is a quieter alternative to Huangyao Ancient Town and can be fitted into a city-based day.
Because it is close to the urban area, it works well as a half-day addition to a Babu District itinerary rather than a trip of its own.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start at Hezhou Museum on Tiyu Road, arriving for the 10:00 opening and eating breakfast in the market area around it first. If you have time before or after, the Hezhou Ethnological Museum on the Hezhou University West Campus is also in Babu District and free.
Afternoon: Head north to Jade Stone Forest in Huangtian Town, then continue to Shibashui Tourism Park in the same village for the cascaded waterfalls. Both are open into the late afternoon, and bus no. 4 plus a short walk reaches the stone forest.
Evening: Return to the city and, if the day allows, take in Linhe Ancient Town, which is close enough to the urban area to fit into the end of a city-based day.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get to Huangyao Ancient Town?
Buses to Huangyao are available from Hezhou Railway Station and Hezhou Central Bus Station. Buses also run from Wuzhou, Yangshuo and Guilin. The site is open 08:00-17:30 and entry is ¥100.
Which forest park should I choose if I only have time for one?
Gupo Mountain National Forest Park has both landscaped lower areas with smaller waterfalls and a demanding climb to the peak, taking five to seven hours round trip, so it suits a full day and good health. Dagui Mountain National Forest Park is a national 4A level attraction with forests, peaks, misty seas and hanging rocks, including Wuma Waterfall and San Ying Tan Waterfall.
Are the main sights reachable by bus?
Several are. Bus no. 17 from Hezhou Railway Station goes to Gupo Mountain National Forest Park, Tourist Bus 17 goes to the Shibashui Intersection, bus no. 4 reaches the Luhua Village Committee stop near Jade Stone Forest, bus no. 25 goes to the Hezhou Hakka Round Houses, and buses 5, 6, 7 and 9 stop at the Fuliang Building near Hezhou Museum. For Ziyun Cave, a taxi is probably your best option.
What should I watch out for at Gupo Mountain?
Beware of hungry primates at the entrance who often steal food from tourists. The climb to the peak is advised to be attempted after 11:00, the top is cold and windy, and there is a lot of garbage on the trail.
Decide which of these fits your days, check the bus routes from Hezhou Railway Station, and start building your itinerary around Huangyao and the forest parks.